"Ion" - читать интересную книгу автора (Plato)

380 BC

ION

by Plato

translated by Benjamin Jowett

ION

PERSONS OF THE DIALOGUE: SOCRATES; ION



Socrates. Welcome, Ion. Are you from your native city of Ephesus?

Ion. No, Socrates; but from Epidaurus, where I attended the festival

of Asclepius.

Soc. And do the Epidaurians have contests of rhapsodes at the

festival?

Ion. O yes; and of all sorts of musical performers.

Soc. And were you one of the competitors- and did you succeed?

Ion. I obtained the first prize of all, Socrates.

Soc. Well done; and I hope that you will do the same for us at the

Panathenaea.

Ion. And I will, please heaven.

Soc. I often envy the profession of a rhapsode, Ion; for you have

always to wear fine clothes, and to look as beautiful as you can is

a part of your art. Then, again, you are obliged to be continually

in the company of many good poets; and especially of Homer, who is the

best and most divine of them; and to understand him, and not merely

learn his words by rote, is a thing greatly to be envied. And no man

can be a rhapsode who does not understand the meaning of the poet. For